Ice Cider?

[colonel_colon]

So I just spent last weeked in the finger lakes of NY and one of the wines I tried for the first time was a riesling ice wine. Its much more potent, almost 40% according to the server.
With ice wines they leave the grapes on the vine well into the winter until it is frozen. Then they crush and press like normal, but the juice they extract is a concentrate.
I was wondering if anyone has thought of doing this with cider.
I know that apples taste better when they have sweat, but what about taking a concentrate?

 

[david_42]

Sounds a little like "noble rot", which is a fungus that draws water out of the grape without turning it into a raisin. I have used freezing to concentrate the cider after fermentation. That's just apple jack. It's really tough to prevent apples from falling off the tree and rotting. Dried apples have a different flavor.

Normally the deer & elk get most of the crop.

 

[OdinOneEye]

Yeah, what you're talking about is apple jack. Whatever you do, don't let the federales get wind of you doing it- it's nowhere near as dangerous as distilling your cider, but from what I've heard, it's just as illegal.

I know, I know- sounds ridiculous, but it's true.

 

[G. Cretin]

Hypotheticaly how would one make this applejack?

 

[Muntzster]

Hypotheticaly how would one make this applejack?

Im also hypothetically wondering ?

 

[colonel_colon]

so hypothetically, could I brew a cider, and then hypothetically freeze it. Then hypothetically remove the ice leaving behind hypothetical alcohol?

could i make an ice wine by using a hypothetically similar hypothetic method?

 

[missing]

Odin is right. The BATF considers freezing a form of fractal distallation (i.e. the same as if you distilled it). There is an exception in that you are allowed to reduce it (i.e. freeze) as long as no more than .5% (yes 1/2 percent) of the total volume or less is removed (which would be pointless).

For historical (hypothetical purposes) apple jack was made by taking a container (barrel) of hard cider and leaving it outside during the winter months. It would freeze around the outside leaving a "core" or "jack" of cider that had some of the water content frozen around it. They would then break the ice and laddle or siphon out the applejack. Traditionally it would be around 20 to 24% ABV at this point.

Hope this answers the question for you history buffs.

Missing

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

So a history buff with a freezer could do that with his chest freezer I guess. I guess it's non carbonated?

 

[missing]

Yep. If history were to repeat itself that would be true. As for what I have read, most cider was traditionally still as it was made in the fall and consumed in the spring. However, there are examples of carbonated cider and apple jack that I have read about but they are European in origin.

 

[Jaybird]

I just love history... LOL
JJ

 

[Muntzster]

im def repeating history, now where am i gonna get a barrel ?